While the weather outside is cooling down drastically, things are going to heat up in the ONE Championship Circle. On the 29th and 30th of September, Muay Thai fans will be able to tune in to ONE 161 and watch some quality fighting. From a bout between two former champions to a very highly anticipated first appearance, to a world title showdown, there is much to feast our eyes on at the end of September. Below we are going to take a look at five fights you should pay close attention to from this event if you are the type of person that likes to bet on sports.
Petchmorakot Petchyindee vs. Tawanchai PK.Saenchai
It goes without saying that the biggest fight of the event will be between Petchmorakot Petchyindee, the reigning king, and Tawanchai PK. Saenchai, the number 1 ranked contender. Petchmorakot’s dominance goes back to February of 2020, but it is fair to say that he has suffered a few scares since then. His defense against the likes of Jimmy Vienot and Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex indicates that he can be defeated with some extra oomph.
If there is one fighter on the circuit at the moment that has that extra bit of oomph, it is Tawanchai. In fact, he has three victories in the One Championship Circle and all of these have come via knockout. Despite his obvious skills, he has never picked up a Muay Thai World title, so we expect this to give him a little bit more motivation.
Zhang Chenglong vs. Sangmanee PK.Saenchai
Chenglong began his ONE career with three straight bantamweight kickboxing division victories, but he fell just short of becoming World Champion when he lost a challenge to Ramazanov, who was the title holder at the time. He then went on to lose his next three fights. However, he recently changed sports and is looking to leave a big mark in the world of Muay Thai. During One 161, he will start his assault against a fighter who once looked very promising.
Sangmanee’s Muay Thai career got off to a great start when he easily defeated his first two opponents using his savage muay femur technique, but he then hit a roadblock in the form of Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai. Since this defeat, he has changed his gym, refocused himself, and is now ready to make a good run through one of the toughest divisions.
Capitan Petchyindee vs. Alaverdi Ramazanov II
These two tough men first met back in January of 2021 for Ramazanov’s ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title attempt, and Capitan only need one and a half rounds to defeat the Russian. Now, these two fighters are going to step into the ring together, but in entirely new circumstances, and we really cannot wait to see the type of heat that they bring.
The two fighters will compete with Muay Thai rules, and Capitan, who happened to lose his kickboxing strap against Hiroki Akimoto will be aiming to enter the top five rankings by getting one over on Ramazanov, who is currently ranked 4th in the rankings.
Han Zi Hao vs. Ferrari Fairtex
When it comes to experience, Han Zi Hao is one of the most experienced fighters on show since he has fought in the ONE Championship no fewer than 11 times using kickboxing and Muay Thai rules. Since the start of 2018, he has come up against top opponents and he has even fought the legendary fighter Nong-O Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai Title.
However, the star from China will have a tough bout on his hands against the debutant Ferrari Fairtex. He is a Muay Thai World Champion who has managed to defeat many of the best fighters in the sport. Some of his more noticeable victims include the likes of Sangmanee PK.Saenchai, Muangthai PK.Saenchai, and Rittewada Petchyindee. The man from Thailand will be desperate to keep on winning against the big names in ONE, and he will be able to make a great first impression if he manages to defeat Han Zi Hao.
Anissa Meksen vs. Dangkongfah Banchamek
When it comes to women’s Muay Thai, to say that Anissa Meksen is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on this planet would be a huge understatement. Since she joined ONE, she has picked up two wins in a row which included a dominant decision against Marie Ruumet with Muay Thai rules back in April, and a technical knockout of Cristina Morales in September of 2021.
On the other hand, Dangkongfah Banchamek, the promotional newcomer, is one of the most experienced Muay Thai female stars. She is a WBC Muay Thai World Champion, and she has also beaten Allycia Hellen Rodrigues, a ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion, two times outside of ONE.